T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S mentioned and its sorrows are graphi cally described in Scripture. D runken ness has existed on ea rth ever since the flood. It is probable th a t th e in toxication of Noah was innocent and unintentional. A t th e tim e of th e flood th ere were g reat cosmical changes in th e ea rth and its atmosphere. Owing to th e changed condition, ferm entation m ight have tak en place for th e first tim e w ith its consequent production of alcohol. W ithou t ferm en tation the fru it of the wine is a harm less and h ealth fu l beverage. There would have been no experience of its possible ef fect afte r ferm entation had tak en place. Noah m ight have been as much su r prised as anyone by th e resu lt which came from drinking it. Be th a t as it may, alcoholic stim ulants have been the fru itfu l source of unmixed and unm iti gated evil among men th roughou t the ages of hum an history. Alcohol is a cerebral narcotic poison having the most deleterious effect upon th e hum an sys tem. While its use produces many phy sical maladies, it has a special affinity for th e b rain cells and th u s affects the m entality. Even its moderate use im pairs the efficiency and by lowering, the v itality lessens th e resisting power to disease. In eb riates are th e first to suf fer from extremes of h ea t or cold and are the first and easiest victim s to pestilence or contagious diseases. The Bible foretells the social and indu strial ru in of the d ru n k ard and also clearly ■reveals his sp iritu al destiny. Prov. 23:21, 1 Cor. 6:10. FRIDAY, Oct. 31. 1 Cor. 8:4-13. That I Make Not My Brother to Stumble. One of th e first, most fearfu l and y et inevitable resu lts of sin is seen in th e fact th a t Eve, as soon as she had sinned herself, became th e tem ptress of h er husband. Gen. 3:6. Sin is con tagious. One sinner destroyeth much good. No man liveth unto himself. As electricity is either positive or negative, ch aracter is eith er good or evil. Neu tra lity is impossible on m oral questions. “ He th a t is not for me is again st me.” It is Satanic to w ilfully lead another soul astra y b u t th e re is a silent uncon scious influence em anating from every one th a t lays hold upon all who come w ithin its reach. I t is far-reaching and controlling. We influence others (Continued bottom next page)
970 vine government b u t it is an incidental resu lt which Divine grace has attached to th e infliction of penalty. The only principle th a t can explain punishm ent is th a t of desert. I t would be u n ju st to punish an offender for th e mere sake of example. Conscience is th e g reat d eterre n t among moral beings together w ith th e conviction th a t crime deserves punishm ent. We m ust discrim inate in Divine government between vindicatory justice and vindictiveness. God is never vindictive, b u t he m ust vindicate H imself or cease to be holy. Reward m ust be bestowed on th e ground of desert for precisely th e same reason th a t penalty m ust be imposed on the ground of ill-desert. The well being of all sen tien t beings is promoted in both cases, and God is glorified in the happiness of th e holy and th e perdition of th e unholy. WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29. 1 Cor. 10:23-33. Do All to the Glory of God. Regeneration is a sp iritu al change in man by which a predom inant love of God takes the place of a predom i n an t love of self. In an unregenerate person, self is th e centre around which everything revolves. God him self is bu t a satellite of self. This g rea t change is essentially a change of centre in which God is p u t in His proper place and the whole life re-adjusted. Re ligion is not a separate d ep artm en t of life, b u t a spirit, motive and atmos phere pervading all life. Everything proceeds on the basis of faith and all is done to the glory of God. The best th ing th a t an un reg en erate man does is vitiated by th e selfish motive which prompts it. An outw ard ac t can never be judged ap a rt from th e motive be hind it. It is possible to invest th e most triv ia l details of life w ith a m oral character and d irect them Godwa
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